Improvement in electric clocks



2 Sheets- Sheet l.

M. HIPP. ELECTRIC CLOCK.

No. 90,841. Patent-Cd June-1, 1869.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

M. HIPP. ELECTRIC CLOCK.

No. 90,841. Patented June 1, 1869.

cdiluted taies @anni (Milice,

u, HirP, or NEUFCHATEL, SWITZERLAND.

-Letters Patent No. 90,841, zlulcd June l, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN ELECTRIC CLOCKS.

The Schedule referred to in thele Letten P atent and making part of thc same.

.opper-tunis, to curry it. into etiect, rclirence. lit-ing.; hud

to the accompanying drawings, which :tre mode :t pnrt of this speciticution.

'My inventirm consists, tirst, iu e. ntro\ling-the closing und breaking of thei'ircuit oi the, electro-nmgnet which :utuntcs the pendulum, h v the fictionl oi' the pendulum itself, in su'ch n. nimmer thut the instunt the stroke ofthe pendulum fulls short ol" its prpperleugth, :rurw impulse will be imported to it by the electroungnet, so :ls to mondain :t prnctieully uniform motion ot' the pendulum for mi indetinte periml ot' time] whether tlupower of the buttery muy hc. wezik or strong. i

My invention consists, secondly, in the employment nt one or any number ol detnchcd dials, whose hunds or pointers :n'e opt-ruted 'by electronnugnctisln, under the control of snitnhle clock-work, to breuk und close the circuit, and in mechanism by which reversed cnr,` rents nrc communicated to the diul-nlzignets, in order to impart, the necessary reciprocating motion to the armatures, to more the lumds ot' the sind dials.

My invention consists, thirdly, in atfdeviee t'or operating successive diuls, or successive sections ot' at. series of dials, .by u common regulator, :1s hercinnftct' explained.

The term dink :is used nuove, rei'ers to u timeindicutor, et' simple construction, requiring no pentiulum' or bzdmice-wheel, but whirlrnmy consist ot' n thee or dinl proper, n pniror set ot' lmnds or pointers, :in electro-umgnet, n reciprocating urnmture,:1nd any suitnble mechanism to coiniuunicutc the necessary rotary motion to the lmnds from thereciprtenting'movemcnt of the armature. Any uumbcrot'tht-sc dctoclietvdinls, located :it :my distunce dport, muy he cont-rolledin their movcnurnt hy :i regulator common to oli, the suit] regulator eonstltuting n complcte clock, whose pendultnn controls both its own movement :nul that. ot' the. de-

tached diuls.

Figure l is n. reauelevation ot' the complete clock or regulator nhove ret'crred to.

Figure 2 is n'side elcvution of the sztnu, purt'ly in section, on the. line t' I, lig. l.

hignrc .'l is 1 rein' vit-w ol' oml ol` the detnched diuls.

Figure 4 is n plnn or top View ol' theelectro-nutanet.

Figure 5 is nn elevation, ou o, larger seulee ot' the circuil-closurer merhuuism ol' the regulator.

Figure ti is n vrticnl scrftionzd view nl' the reguhttor, illustrating omlnode ol' opt-ning, closing, und re'icrsing the diohcirvuits.

Figure? is :t deizuhed sectional view ofthe circuitclosing mcchunism un n. larger seule.

Figure S is :t dingrzuu illustrating n. modified und prelirnhlc t'orm oi' mechanism t'or closing :nu reversing the circuits ot' the 'dinl"'xu:tgnet-s.

Figure tt is :t perspective vit-w ot' the reversing-device.

Similzu' letters ol' reti-rence indicate correspondiiu; pau'ts in the several views.

l will lirst describe the complete clock or regula-tor, :1nd the mcchnnism hy which the oscillation of its peudulum is Innintuincd.

in :tn v common or usuel nimmer, but, unlike the pen dnlmn ot u. common clock, is 'provided with n crosshau, l, constituting- Lhe armature of :m electro-umguut, GLI), :indnalso carries a collur, li, which torms` the henringot'n swinging: pnllet, F, employed to close the circuit ol' the. electro-umgnot (l l).

G .H inzet-represent wires connected with the respective poles of a buttery, which is employed toexcite the. clectro-uuignet (J l) :it intervals, determined by the motion ot' the pendulum, there being no connection between the b'itteILv-wiije G und the helix-wire 1l', so long :is the motion' of the pendulum extends beyond :t eertat-n length of stroke; but the instant the length of stroke is reduced, the point ot' thepzdlet. F, cntehing under the notched pluto l :is the pendulum returns, mises the lever or key K to which the pluto l. is nttau-hed, so as to press the platina. time l: ngoiust the screw'J.

The spring L", which forms n. puriJ of the key K, and enrrics'the platina tin-o It', yields sutlicicntly to prevent any cfmsideruble resistant-e to the'motion ot' the pendulum, while insuringv the closing ot'tlw circuit, The cireuit being thus closed, und the eli-.ctro-nul-gnet excittd, n'. new impulse is imported to the pendulum :it the beginniin,r ot' its stroke.

As soon :is the'key li is released t'rorn the pallet F, it is retracted by :i spring, k2, und brought to rest on :rset-screw, It, in custonmry nimmer.

It will he observed that tin-. n-t'nmture I3 never toilettes the cores C ot theelectro-mugmd, but :u ipromzhes them :is the. pendulum descends, und recede-s from them :is it rises in either di1t.t.-li m,'t-he closest proximity bc- 'tween thezumnture :uid the cores being when the. pen- `duhun is :ttmid-stroke.

Se long :ts the pendulum swings tiu enough to eau-ry the point ol' thc ptllh'l.r l-` beyond the. notehed'plnte l, the descentot the henry lower end of said pallet causes the point or upper end to describe the nrc indcntcd in red in tig. 7, so that-ou the return ot` the pendulum, the pellet, will be eurricd under the notched pluto l without raising the key 1i llw pendulum n iny thus ineke. :luy number oi'st roken without closing the circuit, uut-il the clcct ot` thc. lust instantaneous impulse ot' the magnet is overcome; but'.

'lhe pendulum A mnyhe constructed und suspended so soon as the. pallet F fails to escape `the notched plate, itsrponti being caught by the latter, raises the key l, as the pendulum descends, so as to cause. a new impulse to be. imparted to the latter by the electrolnragnct.

By these means, a practicallyunitin'urrnotion ofthe pendulunrwill be maintained, whether the battery be weak or strong` The slightest shortcningot` the strokeautomatically closes the circuit, so as to impartan instantaneous impulse to the pendulum, and theistrongcr the impulse, the greater will lie-the number of strokes bet'ore a l'urthcr' impulse is rctprired.

The motion ofthe pendulum is communicated through an arm, l, to a lever, L, from which projects` an arm, M, engaging with a ratchet-wheel, N.

The arm M is adapted to bend horizontally, so as to slip easily over the bar-.ks ot` the teeth ot` the wheel 'N as the arrn rises, but t-o turn thc wheel in its descent.

Every second stroke, or each double stroke of the pendulum, will thus turn the wheel N the distance. ol' one tooth,'and the motion may he connnruricatcd t o the hands ot' the clock, throngh't-he medium ot' gearing, in any customary or suitable manner.

A pawl, U, prevents-tire retrograde morena-.nt ot' the wheel N.

'lhe detached dials, and the rrrechanism tor operatingr the hands thereot', may be described as tirllows:

l represents a. wheel, taking the place oi' the escapement-wheel in ordinary clocks, butin this 'case deriving a positive motion tionr a reciprocating shalt, Q, provided with two semi-cylindrical tappets, q q, which engage, at dianretrically-opposite points, with teeth on the t'aee of wheel P, so as m iurn said wheel in the same direction, and'thc distance ot' one tooth, at each motion "ot' the shalt Q.

A pawl, p, prevent-s the backward movement ot' the wheel P.

'lhe reciprocating movement ot` tho strait Q `is imparted by anragnet-ic arn'ratnre, R, attached thereto, and acted on by an electro-magnet, S S, cushions r r arresting the motion ot' the said armature, and preventing its contact with the cores ot'- the electr-miragnet.

'to vibrate Lthe armature It, the current is passed through the helices ot' the electro-magnet S, in oppositc directions, alternately.

To change the direction of the current, various devices may be'emnloyedin the cent 'al clock or regulator.

In the illustration given in tig. 6, G D, C D repre-- rlhis wheel is provided, on cach of its faces, near the' periphery, with a series ot'pins, t t', the pins t', on the t'urther side'ot' the wheel, being arranged midway between the pins t, on the ,near side. i

The function nt' these pins is to act alternately on the ends lu u ot' springs l-l U', by which the circuits ci' the dial-magnets :rre reversed, as hcreiua-tier exlplained.

The ends n u, upon which the wheel 'l' acts, are attached to the springs U U by plates n n, ot`rron-condnetirrg material, so that there may he no electrical connect-ion between the springs U U and the wheel 'l. which operates tlrenr`l G' may represent the positive, and ll, the negative wire, cornnurnieating with -t-he battery to operate the dirle Y V" V are :r series ot' wires, connected at one enel tothe respectivo pins or studs r c lf3 L", tig.v7, and at the other, to the electro-magnets ot' the respeccaso 9 tive dials, or each wire. may be made to serve. for' a connected series ot' dials.

Wis a retrrr'rr\vire, scr-ving, in common, for all tho dials, being connected to the pole ot' each magnet S opposite to that to which the respective wires Y* Y* Y are connected.

The closing ot' the circuit is eilbcted by a spring, n, attached to the wheel N, in such 'a position that as it passes each ot' the pins t v3 1"* e, it will form an electrical connection between the said pin and one of the Vadjacentpins, r", which arc in electrical connection with the wire'rr".

The blue arrows indicate the course ot' the electric current where its direction is always the saure.

'lhe red arrowsl show the course of the current while the reversing-gear is in the position represcntedin the drawing, hut in places where its direction is reversed at cat-lr successive motion imparted to the dialsx .ln tig. ti, the spring L' is shown pressed out by the pin t ot' thel wher-l 'l, against the conducting-pin u, which is in electricalconnection with the wirel n1'.

At t-he same time, the end n otl the spring U', having been released bythe pin t', hasreturned by its own resilience, and presses inward against the eonductingpin u', which is in electrical connection with the wire u".

Under these conditions, whenever the spring n closes the circuit, as bel'ore stated, the course oi' the electric current will be through the wires G u", pin n3 spring U, and wires uf", and NV, tothe. dial magnets; thence back through the. respective -wires Y* V* W V, the

pin u, and wires ud and Il, tothe battery.

"lphe drawing, lig. bf, does not show the requisite number of pins t mult', but sutlicient tor illustration. ln practice, the connections between the wheels N and '.l, and the number ot' pins in the latter, will be so proportioned asto change the positions ot' the springs U and Uf at each revolution ot' the wheel N.

Supposing thespring U n to be released from the. prr t, so as to permit it to springr inward against the conducting-pin 11"', andA away l'rorn the pin N3, and the spring li nl to lle-pressed outward away t'ronr the pin u*,'arrd against the pin u, the course of the electric current will be as follows: through the wires G' and 105, the conducting-pin u, spring U', wire rv, pinsf, spring it, 'pins t rl" t, lv, and vwires V V V3 Vt, to the respective dial batteries S, and thence back through the wires W and tu, spring U, conducting-pin rr", and wires w, w, and H. It will be observed that the current is in this Inanner passed through the helices ot' the dial magnets S in the opposite direction, sothat the poles ot the said electro-magnets will be changed, and a movement imparted to the .armature R in an opposite direction from that; which was caused by the current previously described."

A pret'ei'able forrn for themechanisrn for closing and reversing the circuits oi' the diallmagnets is repre sented in the diagram, tig. 8, aud the fragmentary perspective view, tig. t). Here, as before, the blue arrows indieate the course ofthe current where it. is never changed in direct-ion, and the red arrows the parts where it is reversed at each stroke ot' ,the dialarrrrature.

1u this, as in the other illustration ofthe invent-ion, the springs U U are acted on by pins t t on the opposite faces ot' the wheel "l, butthe said springs are placed so close together as to work between a single pair ot' conducting-pins, u3 rt.

The drawings, 8 and il, show the spring U resting inwardly against lthe conducting-piu u* and the Qpring U', pressed outward against the pin u".

Under these conditions, as the spring n. closes the circuitI by forming,r an electrical connection between the insulated plate Y and the successive pins r t f3 r,

' pins e' -rz i" rt, spring n, pins 1*, wire rr, spring l5', g

thecourse of the current willA be through the wires G' and w, pin u, spring U, wire wz, plate Y, pins v vies 1.1, and wires V* V V3 V, to therespective dials'or sections vof dials thence back through the wire W, springU, pin n, and wires w1 and H.

At the' next revolution -of the wheel N, the wheel 'l having moved the distance ofonc pin, the spring U- will be pressed out against the pin n, while 4the spring U rests back against the pin 'u2 The current will then pass through .the wires Gw, pin u, spring U', and wire W, to the dial magnets;

thence back through the respective wiresVl V2 V3 V,

spring In, plate Y, wire wz, spring U, piu u1-and wires "1i/3 and H, so as to reverse the poles ofv the electromagnet S, fig. 3, and thus impart areverse movement to the armature R, as hereinbefore described.

By dividing the entire number Vof' dials in to sections, controlled by the respective wires V* V"2 'V3 V-, any number of which-.may be employed, extending completely around the wheel lla very large number of dials, may be actuated by abattery of comparatively small capacity, because the dials will be acted upon in succession, and not all at once.

The wheel T may be provided with sixty pins, thirty I on each face, and be mounted on the shaft ofthe minutc-hand, so as to perform a complete revolution in one' hour.

The wheel N may turn simultaneously with the scond-hand, once a minute acting on the dials or sections of dials in succession, each one or two seconds after the other, and, by a suitable proportionment of the connections P Q q q, fig. 3, moving the dial- -handsone minute at each stroke.

The circuit-closing and reversing apparatus, shown in figs. 8 and 9, is more simple, and may be more compactl y arranged, but I do not'desire to limit myself to this arrangement.

The pallet F, or any equivalent device to effect the closing of the circuit, may be located near the upper end of the pendulum, as illustrated'in figs. 1, 2, 5, and 6, or-at the lower extremity, or at any intermediate part of its length.

The circuit-closingdevice, to communicate the motive-power to the clock, may also be applied to balance-wheels and other vibratory devices which are used as substitutes for penduhuns.

My invention is very valuable in adapting the clocks to'be worked equally well with either strong or weak batteries. Also, in adapting clocks to be worked with precision and uniformity by inconstant batteries. Also, in adapting an indefinite number of time-keepers of simple construction to he controlled with perfect uniformity by a regulator common to'all.

The following is what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. l claim the circuit-closing and'reversing mechanism, adapted and employed to operate one or more detached dials under the control of a central regnlator, substantially as described.

2. I further claim the series of circnitclosers 'v 'u2 v3 fv, arranged to actuatethe dials or sections 'of dials 'in succession, substantiallv as described.

3.y I further claim the pallet F, operating in cambie nation with the notched plate I and key K, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. I claim the combination ofthe spring lc with the key K, notched plate I, and pallet F, substantially as set forth.

To the above specification vof my improvementin electric clocks, I have signed my hand, this 24th day of August, A. D. 1868.

M. HIPP.

Witnesses:

M.- TRUSTMANN. GH. MLLER. 

